Why Study History?

The purpose of historical inquiry is not simply to present facts but to search
for an interpretation of the past. Historians attempt to find patterns and establish
meaning through the rigorous study of documents and artifacts left by people of
other times and other places.

The study of history is vital to a liberal arts education. History is unique
among the liberal arts in its emphasis on historical perspective and context.
Historians insist that the past must be understood on its own terms; any historical
phenomenon--an event, an idea, a law, or a dogma for example--must first be
understood in its context, as part of a web of interrelated institutions, values,
and beliefs that define a particular culture and era. Among the liberal arts,
history is the discipline most concerned with understanding change. Historians
seek not only to explain historical causality--how and why change occurs within
societies and cultures. They also try to account for the endurance of tradition,
understand the complex interplay between continuity and change, and explain
the origins, evolution, and decline of institutions and ideas. History is also
distinguished by its singularly broad scope. Virtually every subject has a history
and can be analyzed and interpreted in historical perspective and context; the
scope of historical inquiry is bound only by the quantity and quality of surviving
documents and artifacts.

It is commonly acknowledged that an understanding of the past is fundamental
to an understanding of the present. The analysis and interpretation of history
provide an essential context for evaluating contemporary institutions, politics,
and cultures. Understanding the present configuration of society is not the
only reason to study the past; history also provides unique insight into human
nature and human civilization. By demanding that we see the world through the
eyes of others, that we develop a sense of context and coherence while recognizing
complexity and ambiguity, and that we confront the record not only of human
achievement but also of human failure, cruelty, and barbarity, the study of
history provides us with a richly-textured, substantive framework for understanding
the human condition and grappling with moral questions and problems. History
is essential to the traditional objectives of the liberal arts, the quest for
wisdom and virtue.

There is another reason to study history: it's fun. History combines
the excitement of exploration and discovery with the sense of reward born of
successfully confronting and making sense of complex and challenging problems.--Frank Luttmer (1996)